


The Smile

by InnerSpectrum



Series: Mystrade is Our Division Prompts [88]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Facebook: Mystrade is our Division Fic Prompts, Love Letters, Mystrade Monday Prompts, Mystrade is our Division Fic Prompts, mystrade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28555377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnerSpectrum/pseuds/InnerSpectrum
Summary: Greg smiles as he writes a celebratory letter to Mycroft
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Series: Mystrade is Our Division Prompts [88]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1090899
Comments: 16
Kudos: 52





	The Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Mystrade is our Division FB Fic Prompts: Paper

He looked out past the French doors to patio outside. Their garden had transitioned from its summer blooms to the richer colors of autumn. A repeated noise caught his attention. He turned back to his desk and the pen that he tapped against the blotter. Smears of ink dotted the sheet of paper where the iridium nub made contact.

He silently cursed at the waste. Even if was never read by its recipient, it could not have errant stains and splotches. He balled up the paper, cast it aside and pulled a fresh sheet of stationary from the drawer.

To his dismay, he realized it was the very last sheet, he could not waste it. With a soft sigh he began.

> _My Love,_
> 
> _I cannot believe it has been eleven months. Nearly an entire three hundred and sixty-five days. Regardless if one is having fun; time indeed flies._
> 
> _Oh, but enough of that. We won’t dwell on that today. No, not today._
> 
> _It’s autumn and it's that time of year you pretend to abhor so much, but I know better_
> 
> _You were never a noisy person and the house is ever so quiet, so today I will make noise. I will make enough noise for both of us. I can imagine your patented eyeroll of annoyance that I insist on this celebration as I have each and every single year. I certainly won’t stop now._
> 
> _Today is your day and we will celebrate it, my love!_
> 
> _Happy Birthday, My Darling Man!_
> 
> _And God help me, I still love you._

When done he grinned knowing the exasperated groan the balloon with stars drawn in a corner of the paper would bring and satisfied with the letter, recapped the pen.

He then leaned back in the leather chair enjoying the feel of the edges of the fine paper under his fingers he as waited for the ink to dry so he can put it in an envelope.

~~~~

“Hey old man… Père…?”

Knowing the date, Gregory Michael Lestrade-Holmes knocked on the home office door less than an hour later to check on his namesake. He knew his dad would be writing a love letter to his papa today. Especially today. He opened the door and smiled at the smile that played on his father’s lips, his hand still on the stationary paper as he sat at the desk and stared…

…at nothing.

“Move out the wa…” Mychael Alexander Lestrade-Holmes, with a lit candle atop their younger father’s favorite flavor of cupcake, shoved his older brother of seven minutes aside and then stopped at the sight. “…Dad…?”

Both knew the soft smile, the very last smile, of their elder father, Gregory Michael Lestrade, Detective Chief Inspector-Retired was for their younger father, the erstwhile occupant of a minor office in the government, Mycroft David Alexander Holmes; who died eleven months ago.

Mychael blew out the candle, while Gregory made the necessary call, and together the sons approached the desk and read the last love letter.

**Author's Note:**

> This references the last love letter found at the final installment of the [Love Letters in the Attic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19889776) series.  
>   
> The autumnal setting is due to Mark Gatiss, actor of our beloved Mycroft, whose birthday is October 17th.


End file.
